


Sideways in the Sand

by Nicnag



Category: SEAL Team (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-28 06:48:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20059771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicnag/pseuds/Nicnag
Summary: Sandstorm hampers Bravo's mission. Clay, of course, manages to find a new way to get injured. This time he's stuck on top of a building with nothing but sand between his team and their rescue helo.





	Sideways in the Sand

**Author's Note:**

> Just a one post I came across from my stored stories. Edited it a bit then decided I may as well post it since it will be a bit before I get a chance to get any more writings up.

Sideways in the Sand

The blazing sun beat down on the men of Bravo as they sought cover until nightfall. The desert had more extreme weather than basically anywhere else they trekked. It was well above 80 degrees Fahrenheit that day and average nighttime temps could get down to 30 degrees F. They would move while it’s cool, hidden by the darkness of night. 

Clay reached across Sonny to grab the water from Trent, the team’s medic. He packed an extra bag of water and IV fluids just in case. Each man took their turn carrying it, knowing they would need it if the going continued to be this slow. Jason made the decision for each man to rid themselves of their gear unless ISR showed movement. They hadn’t been able to helo closer due to a sand storm but since the op is time sensitive, they couldn’t hold off for a few days until the environment settled itself down. 

They had an extra 3 klicks in full gear added to the original 5 klicks. The team was resting just 2 klicks from their destination. When night fell, the men would move into the city and complete their mission of destroying a cache of weapons that had been infiltrated to the country via back channels. Intel put the leader of the group making dirty bombs and explosives in their location as well. Mandy told them it was a capture or kill mission, but she stressed main objective was capture if at all possible. Ray took watch first, even though nothing was showing up on ISR. Can’t get lax, especially relying on something you don’t control to give you information. 

Bravo crept through the small village in the vast desert landscape. There was no activity on ISR, which the men confirmed as they swept through building after building. 

Sonny keyed his mic “Boss, this don’t feel right.” Jason agreed, telling his men to halt. He motioned for Ray and Clay, the two snipers on the team, to go high. They had coordinates of the exact location of the bunker with weapons. Intel had been thin but a top priority as what the explosives would be used for had yet to be revealed. 

“I’m with 3, they wouldn’t leave the cache unguarded,” stated Brock. He was hesitant to send Cerberus in until they figured out their new plan. The first plan was to come in quick and dirty, to make it look like a hit versus the US military. 

“Mandy are you sure the weapons weren’t moved?” 

Before she could reply, Ray yelled into his comms “Incoming!” as an RPG hit a few buildings away from where the team stood. Clay honed in on the RPG through his scope. He was surprised not to see someone holding it any longer but he still fired, demolishing the weapon. 

“Bravo 1, RPG down, no man on it” 

Jason asked “2 and 6, you don’t see anyone else?” 

“No, Boss” both of them replied. 

“Well, shit,” Jason muttered just as Ray yelled again “Incoming.” This time it hit closer to them, rocking the men off balance. Gunfire followed the blast. Enemy combatants came out of nowhere. There had been no movement on ISR or heat signatures. 

“Bravo, they came from underground, I repeat they came from underground. Easily 30 men heading your way.” Eric warned his team as he ran his hand over his face and started to pace. Jason heard Clay say he was moving to new location while Sonny and Trent backed Jason up as they moved around the buildings. His entire team had been up against larger enemy forces and still came out on top so there was no reason to turn tail and run at that point. Brock sent their hair missile to seek explosives as they rounded the building, close to where the men first appeared. 

His team had already picked off half as one flaw in the militants plan was they were out in the open when they rushed Bravo. Maybe they felt 30 would be more than enough to take down 6 SEALs. Correct that, 7 SEALs. Don’t forget Cerberus. Cerb sat near what looked like a storm shelter that went underground. It was the location the weapons and explosives should be in. Brock called the dog back while Sonny threw several charges down into the storm shelter. He stretched the line for the charges back around the building giving them cover just before they started taking fire. 

The plan had been to be twice as far from the charges before blowing it, but time was not on their side. Jason said, “On my 1. Wait, wait….3, 2, 1, execute execute execute.” Sonny squeezed the trigger while they all tried to find the most cover they could from the impending blast and the gunfire. The charges blew the bunker to smithereens and several of the combatants as well as Jason waited til the militants were closer to the blast, thus the wait for the execute order. 

Gunfire ceased. ISR showed no moving hostiles, but they couldn’t be convinced to ease up not knowing if there were more hidden. Jason, while still trying to pull himself up off the ground following the blast asked for a sitrep from all call signs. After Brock, there was no answer. 

“Bravo 6, this is Bravo 1. How you copy?” Again, silence. 

“Sonny, you and Trent go find him,” Jason ordered. Sonny gathered his senses before moving forward, his head ringing some and his body aching even more. Brock was still crouched over Cerb, not sure if he was trying to calm the dog or himself. Trent had a bit of a limp but the more he walked, the better it became. All 4 of the men were covered in dirt, dust and sand. Their eyes were scratchy despite the safety glasses. 

Before Sonny and Trent reached the building Ray had told them where Spenser had gone to, there was a crackle over the comms. 

“one….six….need……you,” Clay gasped. Sonny and Trent got to him just as he rolled himself over onto his back. Sonny quickly went to work getting Clays helmet off so Trent could examine the cuts on his face. Next the bullet proof vest. There was a round that thankfully did not penetrate the vest but still hurt his ribs. It was the cause of his erratic breathing as it was almost center mass. No wonder he couldn’t answer Jason right away. 

Trent expertly sliced Clay’s pants from ankle to crotch as he moved down the injured man. He already knew Clay wouldn’t be walking out of there after getting a closer look as his legs. A hard black piece of metal was impaled into his left upper thigh with smaller frag on his right leg. Normally you’d leave an impalement alone til in a hospital but transferring him off the building and back to the helo would be more dangerous with the piece in. 

“This is 4, I need 1 more up here with us.” Clay turned his head to find Sonny who was just out of eye sight. He quickly moved around within view of the younger SEAL. 

“How..bad?” he asked. 

“Nothin’ Trent can’t fix.” Sonny responded. Trent glanced up at Sonny as Sonny met his gaze. They both knew what Clay was going to go through next. Jason was on the top of the building now, taking in all the injuries Clay had received. 

“Where did the damn metal come from?” Trent asked while looking around the area for anything that resembled what was in Clay’s leg. 

“My…gun” they all heard Spenser force out through gritted teeth. 

“What the hell kid?!” Sonny exclaimed as he saw the destroyed AK across the roof top as he followed Clay’s gaze. It was evident their young sniper took 2 hits, one to his chest plate and the other to his gun in his hands. Trent hastily grabs for Clay’s hands but he still had all 10 fingers but his gloves were tattered and knuckles bloodied. He knew the leg wound was the most pressing as he got out all the supplies he’d need. Ray and Brock had set up watch while the others worked on Clay. 

“Dang Kid, you always come up with new ways to get hurt.” Sonny said, which was followed by Trent “and new ways to make me turn gray.” 

Jason and Sonny sat Clay partially up while Jason slipped behind him, his legs spread out with Clay in between. Sonny lowered him carefully as Jason wrapped his arms around Clay, pinning his hands. Sonny put pressure on Clay’s right leg to keep it still. Trent pulled out what looked like a grill tong before he poured a liquid over the impalement which made Clay buck. Jason and Sonny clamped down harder on the younger one as Trent grabbed the metal shard and slowly pulled. He wished he could do it quickly as it would be less painful but he has to know if it hit any major veins or arteries based on how fast the blood flows out of the wound. 

Sonny had given Clay the strap from his busted gun to bite down on. Pain overtook the Kid and he went limp in Jason’s arms. 

“Trent?” Jason asked, unable to hide the concern in his voice. 

“He just passed out.” Even though he had, Jason and Sonny kept their hold knowing he could wake at any moment. 

Sonny kept his eyes on Bravo 6. His head was turned like he was looking towards Sonny. Jason had his chin on top of his head. Jason unconsciously started to rock Clay, like he used to do for Mikey when he was hurt and scared. 

“Keep him still.” Trent barked. 

“I am Tr….. Sorry” Jason remarked after realizing what he was doing. He can’t believe what he just did. What other team would a team leader rock their sniper?

Sonny lamented how young their youngest team member looked in his team leaders arms. His mop of curls fell down over his forehead, brushing his eye lashes. Definitely not regulation but he’s a Tier One Sniper on the best assault team in the Navy so no one really cared. Sonny knew there were piercing blue eyes under those lids and laying there in no assault gear made him appear even smaller while on Jason’s lap. If it wasn’t for his beard, he’d look even younger. 

As Trent finished and let go of his injured leg, Clay’s eyes flickered, revealing his blue eyes. He looked desperately into Sonny’s eyes, the same way he had after he’d been hit the night Adam had died. Sonny had to look away, couldn’t stand to see the hurt and pain. Clay didn’t try to wriggle out of the holds as Trent wrapped his leg. He knew Trent only did what he had to and he trusted Trent with his life, literally. Trent’s harried expression had Clay worried as Trent scrambled, trying to find something, anything, to aid in getting Spenser off the roof. 

“Rope” was all Sonny said and the three went to work creating rigging they could lower Clay down to the ground with. He wasn’t going to be able to climb down between his concussion, badly bruised ribs and legs smattered with injuries as well. They had a litter they could use once down. Clay felt a stab in his bad leg before morphine coursed its’ way into his system. It wasn’t much given his sensitivity but at least it was a bit of relief over none at all. Clay tried not to yell in pain as he was lowered to the ground. 

Ray took his top half while Brock took his lower as they slowly got him on the ground. Clay panted through the shocks of bright light in his head, his face twisted in pain. It hurt to take a full breath on both sides of his ribs, right across his sternum. His leg? While that was Trent’s priority, it wasn’t what was giving him the most trouble. Clay moved like he was going to try to stand up. 

“Whoa, Brother,” Ray exclaimed. He quickly knelt down to support Clays upper half in a sitting position as the rest of Bravo climbed down the rungs of the wooden ladder that most of these buildings had for reaching upper levels versus stairs inside. Most didn’t have stairs inside the home. Brock had the litter spread out and each man except Trent took a limb. Trent moved to Spensers head to hold it still as he was transferred. Then each man took a corner and lifted. 

Trent swapped with Ray so he could keep an eye on the Kid while Ray went ahead, gun ready if needed. They barely made it a klick before the sun was out, scalding them as they trudged through deep sand. They had raised Spensers litter to all of their shoulders for better support. Clay didn’t fear falling because this was an exact scenario all of these men had been trained in before becoming a Tier One operator. Adam had gotten on his case about not rotating out and how the group is only as fast as their most tired person. That, along with the time he jumped on a grenade during a simulation, he now thinks of fondly even though he had a verbal dressing down each time. 

Adam had died saving the other members of Bravo. Clay felt it was his fault because he had gotten hit, just like today, in the chest and slowed the team down. An S Vest came out of nowhere and Adam tackled him, being killed in the process. On the plane, Clay was so angry at him because he did what he told Clay not to do. His team was right though, when they told him that anyone of them would have done the exact same thing if they had been Adam. Clay knew deep down he would have too which helped dispel some of the misplaced anger. 

Before he could reminisce in his concussed state, he heard Eric on the comms say “ISR shows 6 technicals with roughly 5 in each on the south side of village 8 klicks out. Luckily the team was on the other side going north, instead of straight into them. However, at their speed compared to the vehicles, they would be overrun before they reached safety. There was nowhere to bed down in their area and even if there were, their footsteps would lead straight to them. 

“Bravo 1, you have at least 40 minutes til they get to you, if they know what direction you went” Davis tells Jason. This was her last op before OCS. She prayed this wasn’t the last mission for any of these men. 

“What are we doing Boss?” Sonny asked. Jason rubbed his hand on his left thigh, a tell tale sign of stress. The men quickly shared their ideas but none were doable, not with how few there are of them. They overran 30 in the village but none were in vehicles. 

“TOC, I need QRT to our coordinates now. We will stay in position and give us a 15 second countdown to arrival before we pop the red smoke.” 

Ray prayed that not only can QRT get them home safely but that they are also able to take out the hostiles as well. While Eric bellered for the QRT in TOC, the men set Clay down. Even in his weakened state, he was aware of the danger they were in. The sooner QRT got to them, the further out the hostiles were from their location. As soon as the militants saw the red smoke, they’d start shooting RPG’s towards them. 

“Bravo 1, we have transportation, we do not have air assault, I repeat we do not have air assault.” Eric angrily spat into the phone. He turned back to those in TOC and asked why the hell air assault had lifted off for a simulation run. When this all got sorted out, he would have a head on a stake. 

“TOC, Bravo 1, how long til we do?” Jason asked, hoping for a speedy response. He knew their transportation couldn’t land if the militants were within a certain distance especially when it’s guaranteed they are armed with RPG’s on their vehicles. 

“I’m working on it 1, Havoc out.” 

“Damn, we can’t get any breaks this mission” Ray lamented. 

The men looked at each other waiting on a response from Eric. Just a few moments later, which seemed like years for the men on the ground, Eric confirmed air assault was 13 minutes out which meant the opposing forces would be halfway to them. The helo was told to take up a pattern outside of the rescue area for now. hTey would have to wait out the 8 minute difference until air assault got to them. 

“Shit” Sonny muttered. Brock adjusted Cerberus’s goggles making sure he was ready for the helo ride. The men had transferred wounded men into helo’s enough times that its routine unfortunately.

Air assault arrived just as the militants were closing the distance. A few more seconds and they wouldn’t have been able to get the helo to them safely, much like the situation the team was in when the helo with Trent, Clay and Jason crashed. 

As the helo rose in the air with all Bravo members, the men watched the auspray unleash hell on the technicals, easily taking out the force heading their direction. Bravo sighed a relief, even Clay. Another close call.


End file.
